Food Systems Expert, Restore Local Project, Greater Rift Valley at World Resources Institute (WRI)

What will you do:    

Research (50%):    

• Conduct need assessment to build evidence on local degradation challenges and production suitability across the different ecological zones within the restoration champions sites
• Conduct analysis on agronomic and restoration practices, degradation trends and contributing factors in restoration sites
• Analyse existing data on soil health (from government institutions) or coordinate data gathering and analysis on the same if absent or limited
• Review Restoration Champions proposal for gaps and opportunities for integrating food and nutrition security dimensions in proposed activities
• Support market assessment for restoration products
• Coordinate participatory trials with restoration champions and development of field level data collection tools
• Support the monitoring, tracking, learning and reporting on food outcome area key indicators
• Participate in selection and training of enumerators
• Lead field data collection – mobilising enumerators, monitoring data quality and uploading the data on ODK or other software

Technical assistance / capacity building (30%):   

• Lead the development of context-specific training modules, and training program for respective Restoration Champions
• Identify strategic partner and coordinate capacity development (internally and externally), on best restoration practices that enhance local food and nutrition security – on-site/in-farm training, workshops, and other forms of in-person events to champions, farmer cooperatives, individual farmers and other stakeholders
• Coordinate the setting up of farm demonstration plots and field experiment/trials
• Coordinate the support of select Restoration Champions to adopt and implement restoration practices to enhance local food and nutrition security
• In collaboration and coordination with the Regeneration and other partners, support the Champions with market linkages or market systems development for the restoration value chains’ products

Engagement and Partnerships (20%):   

• Ensure coordination and harmonization between restore local program and government and other stakeholders’ programs vis-à-vis food systems transformation and forest and landscape restoration in the focus countries/counties
• Participate in the establishment of market partnership for the restoration products by facilitating connection between the Champions and market stakeholders
• Collaborate with stakeholders in different sectors in the value chain; county government department of agriculture, private sector and other stakeholders in the landscape to enhance sustainable consumption and production, including market systems development
• Contribute to policy strengthening for restoration practices that enhance food and nutrition security
• Represent WRI in key events, increase the public profile of WRI’s work on integrating food security in restoration at the landscape level.

What will you need:   

• Education: You have completed a bachelor's degree in agriculture, agronomy, agroecology, agroforestry, sustainability, environmental science or related fields
• Experience: You have a 6+ years of experience working with smallholder farmers on sustainable land and water management practices, such as agroecology, agroforestry, managing soil erosion, landscape restoration
• Demonstrated practical and technical expertise in food systems transformation in Africa, especially in soil and water management, regenerative agriculture and agroecology and other restoration practices that positively impact different dimension of food and nutrition security
• Experience in research, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting with the ability to support field data collection processes by mobilising enumerators and respondents, data analysis and drafting reports
• Experience in field level experiments in the agriculture sector
• Experience designing training materials and programs for smallholder farmers
• Experience coordinating farmers training
• Experience coordinating farm demonstration plots and field experimentation/trials
• Demonstrated knowledge of farmers market linkages or market systems development
• Languages: Proficiency in verbal and written English and Swahili
• Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization.